Yogurt Cornbread with Chipotle and Sweet Corn Niblets

Posted on October 8, 2010 by Sala @ Veggie Belly

This is a spicy version of regular corn bread. I used less sugar because I don’t like my corn bread sweet. Use up to 4 tablespoons sugar in this recipe for a sweet corn bread.

The yogurt here adds a mild tang and makes the corn bread fluffy and gorgeous. Buttermilk will work too. And I love the little pieces of sweet corn all through this bread.

For a different twist on this, use semolina instead of cornmeal. For a vegan corn bread try this vegan cornbread recipe on the post punk kitchen.

This yogurt corn bread with chipotle and sweet corn will be perfect served with my Brazilian style black bean and smoked tofu stew. Simply recipes has an amazing green chile cornbread recipe with sweet corn. 101 cookbooks has a firecracker cornbread recipe using buttermilk and red pepper flakes.

Yogurt Cornbread with Chipotle and Sweet Corn Niblets

serves 4-6

Dry ingredients
1 cup stone ground yellow cornmeal
¾ cup all purpose flour
2 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, chopped (use less if you don’t want it too spicy)
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 cup canned, drained, sweet corn
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon sugar (this is less sweet than traditional corn bread, use up to 4 tablespoons sugar for a sweeter dish)
½ teaspoon salt

Wet ingredients
1 cup non-fat yogurt
2 large eggs
4 tablespoons softened butter

Pre heat oven to 400f

Place all dry ingredients in a bowl and mix well. In another bowl, whisk together all the wet ingredients. Add the whisked mixture to the dry ingredients. Using a spatula, fold the batter gently just until combined. Don’t over mix.

Pour into a square 8×8 cake pan. Sprinkle a tablespoon of corn on top (optional). Bake 20-30 minutes or till a tooth pick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let the corn bread cool a little before cutting into squares. Serve with Brazilian style black bean and smoked tofu stew.

Brazilian Style Black Bean and Smoked Tofu Stew (Vegan Feijoada)

Posted on October 7, 2010 by Sala @ Veggie Belly

Feijoada is a popular Brazilian stew of cured meats and black beans. This Brazilian national dish relies heavily on meat for flavor and texture. In my vegan version of Feijoada, I add smoked tofu instead of the meats and use paprika and cumin for extra flavor. I admit this is not an authentic Brazilian dish, but it is certainly tasty and filling. Serve with rice or chipotle corn bread on a chilly night.

If you cant find smoked tofu, just use regular, firm tofu and add a few drops of liquid smoke to your stew. If you don’t want to use tofu for whatever reason, substitute it with another kind of bean (kidney beans or white beans), or TVP or tempeh, or store bought veggie crumbles (like Morningstar). Check out this Brazilian black bean stew with sweet potatoes on Allrecipes. Martha Stewart has a Cuban black bean stew. Vegkitchen features a vegetarian feijoada or brazilian black bean stew.

This goes to Chef in you’s AWED Brazil event hosted by Sara’s Corner.

Brazilian Style Black Bean and Smoked Tofu Stew (Vegan Feijoada)

Serves 2

For the smoked tofu
4 oz smoked tofu (I used Soyboy brand), cut into small cubes (about ½ cup when cubed)
1 tablespoon olive oil

For the stew
½ tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, chopped finely
1 small carrot, peeled and chopped finely
1 green or red bell pepper, chopped finely
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons cumin powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon dried oregano or Italian seasoning
One 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed (or 1 ½ cups cooked black beans)
3 cups water
Salt

Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan. Add the tofu cubes and cook on medium-high heat till the tofu is browned and crispy – about 6 minutes. Remove the tofu from the pan and set aside.

In the same pan, heat ½ tablespoon olive oil. Add onion, carrot and bell pepper. Sauté on medium heat till the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Add minced garlic and stir for 30 seconds. Add cumin, paprika, and oregano. Stir for about 20 seconds.

Add the black beans, water and salt. Bring the stew to a boil. Then reduce heat to low, and simmer uncovered for about 30 minutes or till most the liquid has evaporated. Mash some of the black beans using the back of a wooden spoon. Add the reserved tofu and cook another 5 minutes.

Top with your choice of chopped tomatoes, red onion, parsley, cilantro, orange zest, sour cream or grated cheese. Serve with my yogurt cornbread with chipotle and sweet corn niblets.

Cauliflower and Broccoli Poriyal with Lentils and Coconut

Posted on October 4, 2010 by Sala @ Veggie Belly

A poriyal is a beautiful, simple way to enjoy fresh vegetables. This south Indian stir fry (kinda!) usually involves tempering mustard seeds, cumin seeds, chillies and or curry leaves and then adding chopped vegetables - quick, easy and healthy.

I like to add some split mung beans or moong dal to my poriyals for extra body and protein. I also leave the broccoli and cauliflower slightly undercooked so that they are a tad crunchy; over cooking fresh vegetables just doesnt let their flavor shine through. Serve this with rice and pineapple rasam or collard greens dal.

Cauliflower and Broccoli Poriyal with Lentils and Coconut Recipe

serves 6-8 as a side dish

for the lentils
1/4 cup split mung beans (moong dal)
a pinch of turmeric

other ingredients
2 cups of broccoli florets
2 cups of cauliflower florets
1 tablespoon oil
1/2 teaspoon black mustard seeds
2-3 dried red chillies, or according to taste
a few curry leaves
1/8 teaspoon asafoetida
4 tablespoon fresh grated coconut (I use fresh-frozen, grated coconut available at the Asian store. The ones from Thailand are good.)
salt

Bring 3 cups water to a boil in a pot. Add moong dal, turmeric and salt and let it boil till the lentils are cooked through but still holding their shape. Drain well.

Cut the broccoli and cauliflower into tiny florets as seen in the photos. Heat oil in a wok and add mustard seeds. When they splutter, add the dried red chillies, curry leaves, and asafoetida. Cook for about 30 seconds. Then add cauliflower, broccoli and salt. Cook on medium heat till the vegetables are cooked but still slightly crunchy. If needed, sprinkle some water while cooking the vegetables.

Add the cooked lentils and coconut, stir well, and turn off heat.

Rugelach Cookies – Raspberry Pecan and Apricot Walnut

Posted on September 14, 2010 by Sala @ Veggie Belly

I was thrown a challenge. I had to make Rugelach (a jewish cookie) based on the description my friend Vidya gave me. She had eaten these amazing cookies in New York, and wanted me to reproduce them. I cheated a bit. I used Ina Garten’s Rugelach recipe. I love Ina’s recipe for sweets, and this one was no different.

Notes

- Rugelach dough has a lot of butter and cream cheese, so you must make sure the dough is very cold before rolling it out
- Make sure your work surface is well floured when rolling out the dough
- You can roll the dough into crescents like Ive done. Or simply roll it into a log and cut spiral discs
- Vary the filling according to taste and imagination. The basic combination is brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, raisins + jam or preserves + nuts. (Next time I want to try a fig and pine nut rugelach using fig preserves and pine nuts).
- I halved Ina’s recipe, and made each cookie larger. I also made two different flavored cookies (apricot walnut and raspberry pecan).

Rugelach with Raspberry Pecan and Apricot Walnut filling Recipe

adapted from Ina Garten’s Rugelach recipe
makes about 16 cookies

for the dough
4 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
1 stick butter, at room temperature
2 tablespoons sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all purpose flour

for the raisin filling
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup raisins

for raspberry pecan filling
1/4 cup chopped pecans
2 tablespoons raspberry preserves, microwaved for a few seconds

for apricot walnut filling
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
2 tablespoons apricot preserves, microwaved for a few seconds

for eggwash
1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon milk
1 tablespoon sugar + 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon for sprinkling

Place the cream cheese and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer. Use the paddle attachment and beat till creamy. Add sugar, salt and vanilla. Reduce speed to low, and slowly add flour. Beat until just combined. Roll the dough into a ball. Divide the ball into two. Wrap both dough balls in cling wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Combine all ingredients for the raisin filling in a bowl.

Take out one ball from the fridge. On a well floured surface, roll it out into a 9 inch circle. Spread raspberry preserves all over the dough circle. Then sprinkle pecans. Then sprinkle half of the raisin-sugar filling. Cut the circle into 8 wedges, like you would a pizza. Now roll each wedge. Start at the base (wider end) and roll towards the pointed end. Turn the sides inwards to form a crescent. Repeat for all wedges, Place on a baking tray and return to the fridge for another 30 minutes.

Repeat the process for the second dough ball, this time using the apricot walnut filling.

Preheat oven to 350f

Once the cookies have been in the fridge for 30 minutes, brush them with eggwash (you will use only about half the egg wash). Sprinkle a little sugar cinnamon micture on top of each cookie. Bake in a 350 f oven for 15-20 minutes orr until light brown.

Masala Stuffed Okra

Posted on September 2, 2010 by Sala @ Veggie Belly

Documenting recipes was a big deal in my family. (That’s probably where I get my interest in food blogging from). Every family recipe was carefully tested and documented on paper. It was a huge, and ongoing project in my parents’ house. As kids, my siblings, any visiting cousins and I were constantly put to work, writing and re-writing recipes in notebooks.

There is a mountain of old notebooks at my parents’ house in India, their yellowing pages full of hand written recipes. When I moved out, I photocopied every single page of every single notebook. I take my photocopied family recipes everywhere I go. No matter what country, state, city or house I am moving to, the first thing I pack is my huge stack of photocopies.

About 10 years ago, my mother decided to go hi-tech. She hired a starving college kid to type out, catalogue and save the thousands of family recipes on CDs. I was given a copy of all these CDs.

The CDs are better organized and much easier to use. But somehow, I keep going back to my Xerox copies of the notebooks. I like shuffling through my stacks of paper. The fading ink, the dog eared edges, all remind me of a sweltering childhood kitchen filled with the aromas of Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
This is one recipe that will take me right back there. Served with rice and dal, it is my sister’s favorite.

A very small portion of my family recipes collection

We call this dish ‘nool katti vendakkai masala’ or string tied okra. The stuffed okra was tied with string and then deep fried. Tying the okra kept the stuffing inside it. My version of this recipe is a little easier. I don’t string tie the okra.

Notes

- Make sure you dry the okras very well before stuffing them
- Searing the stuffed okras on high heat initially will make sure they dont get slimy
-For a quicker version of this recipe, skip the roasting and grinding of spices; instead use chili powder, coriander powder and cumin powder

Stuffed okra is a common dish in India, but recipes vary from region to region. Aayi’s Recipes has a Konkan stuffed okra recipe using coconut. Hungry Desi’s stuffed okra boats recipe uses tomatoes. Sindhi Rasoi’s stuffed okra or dhaas bhindi or bharwan bhindi recipe uses spice powders.

Masala Stuffed Okra Recipe

serves about 4 as a side dish

For masala
½ teaspoon oil
3 red chilies
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seed
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
½ small onion, minced
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
¼ teaspoon turmeric
A pinch of asafetida
Salt

For the okra
½ lb fresh, tender Okra (about 30)
1-2 tablespoons oil

In a small skillet, heat the oil for masala and add red chilies, coriander seeds, cumin and fennel seeds. Fry on low heat just till the spices turn color and get fragrant. Remove the spices to a spice grinder and grind finely.

Wipe the skillet clean. Add a few drops of oil and fry the onions and garlic till onion is soft. Turn off heat. Add ground spices, turmeric, asafetida and salt to the onion mixture. Mix well. This is your stuffing masala.

Wash and dry the okra. Cut the tops off. Using a sharp knife, make an incision in the okra, starting from the top and stopping just before the tail. Do not cut all the way through the orka, it has to be one whole piece.

Place okra on a work surface. Using one hand, gently pry open the okra at the slit. (Careful not to tear it). Using your other hand, gently stuff a little masala into the slit and pack it down. Repeat for all okra pieces.

In a large, shallow non stick skillet, heat the oil. Add the stuffed okra, one at a time, stuffed side facing up, in a single layer. Cook on medium-high heat till the bottom sides of the okra are brown. Reduce heat to low, place a lid on the skillet, venting it a little, and cook for about 7 minutes or till the okra is tender. Then remove lid, carefully flip the okras over and cook 2 more minutes. Sprinkle salt all over. Serve hot with rice and dal.

Cold Spiced Buttermilk Drink with Cucumber

Posted on August 25, 2010 by Sala @ Veggie Belly

Spiced, salted buttermilk drink, also called mor, sambaram, majjige or chaas, is a popular thirst quencher in India. At its humblest form, this drink can simply be buttermilk served with a pinch of salt. I’ve added a little twist by using some refreshing, crunchy bits of cucumber in this recipe. With all the ginger, cumin and asafoetida in this drink, its also a great digestive.

If you dont have buttermilk, you could use 1 part yogurt and 1 part water. Or just thin out yogurt to your liking.

Similar spiced buttermilk recipes:

Sambharam, majjige or mor recipe on Edible Garden
Spiced buttermilk recipe on Vegetable Platter
Majjiga or salted yogurt drink recipe on Sailu’s Kitchen
Spicy buttermilk on Aayis Recipes

Spiced Buttermilk Drink with Cucumber (chaas, mor, moru, majjige, sambaram) Recipe

serves about 2

2 cups buttermilk (or 1 cup yogurt diluted with 1 cup water)
1/8th teaspoon cumin seeds
4-6 curry leaves
1 teaspoon sized knob of ginger, peeled
1 small green chilli or according to taste, optional
2 sprigs of cilantro
a pinch of asafoetida
salt

2 tablespoons finely chopped cucumber

Pour the buttermilk into a bowl and set aside. In a mortar and pestle, roughly pound the cumin seeds, curry leaf, ginger, chilli, cilantro and asafoetida. Add the pounded spices to the buttermilk and add salt. Stir well. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour so the flavors marry. Strain before serving and garnish with chopped cucumbers.

Tomato, Roasted Red Pepper and Olive Gazpacho with Creme Fraiche

Posted on August 20, 2010 by Sala @ Veggie Belly

This has to be one of those recipes where I say “If I give you the recipe I have to shoot you”. Because its that good. But because I love you all, I will share this recipe with you, without any shooting involved.

Summer may be winding down, but its still super hot. This easy to make, raw, cold, refreshing gazpacho is just what you need to beat the heat. If you like this tomato and roasted red pepper gazpacho recipe, be sure to check out my other no-cook recipes.

If you are entertaining, serve the gazpacho in mini martini glasses or shooter glasses. For a more casual meal, simple bowls or mugs will be perfect.

A dollop of creme fraiche adds richness to this gazpacho. Creme fraiche is a thick soured cream from France. It tastes a little like sour cream, but thicker and richer. Substitute creme fraiche with sour cream or thick yogurt. Vegans can use coconut cream to top their Gazpacho..remember Aarti made gazpacho with coconut milk on the next food network star?!

For some variations, check out Matt Bite’s two Gazpacho recipes. There is a gorgeous gazpacho recipe on Simple Recipes. This almond gazpacho recipe in La Tartine Gourmande looks unique. However you make it, Gazpacho is a quick, easy, no-cook summer soup that you will love. Make a meal out of it or take it along on a picnic!

Tomato, Roasted Red Pepper and Black Olive Gazpacho with Creme Fraiche

inspired by Ina Garten’s gazpacho recipe
serves about 6

2 large ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 small cucumber peeled, seeded, roughly chopped
1 red pepper or store bought roasted red pepper, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons pitted black olives (or green olives)
2 cloves garlic, peeled
6 basil leaves

one 11oz can tomato juice (I used Campbells)
a few drops Tabasco sauce, or to taste, optional
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar or any other type of vinegar or lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper

for topping

6 tablespoons creme fraiche or sour cream
a few basil leaves cut into strips

Place tomato, cucumber, red pepper, olives, garlic in a blender or food processor. Pulse to a coarse puree. Add basil, tomato juice, tabasco, vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper. Pulse once or twice till everything is well combine. Cover and refrigerate the gazpacho. Serve chilled, topped with basil and creme fraiche. Gazpacho tastes better the next day!

Vietnamese Summer Rolls with Mango and Sweet Chili Dipping Sauce

Posted on August 17, 2010 by Sala @ Veggie Belly

Another no-cook recipe – these Vietnamese summer rolls or Goi Cuan are bursting with fresh herbs and vegetables. And they will be perfect to take along for a vegetarian picnic.

I used mangoes here for some summery, fruity, sweetness. But you can use pretty much any combination of vegetables in this summer roll. I’m not a fan of mangoes, so I made this recipe for our guests (they loved it) and I made myself a roll with carrots and purple cabbage.

Set up all the ingredients on a clean surface. Dip a rice paper wrapper into a large bowl of water. Make sure all sides get wet. Then remove the rice paper and gently shake it dry. The rice paper will now be pliable. If it isnt, let it stil on the table (not in the water) for a few more seconds.

Place the softened rice paper wrapper on a clean surface. Place filling ingredients on the front (closest to you) 1/3rd of the rice paper wrapper in this order – cilantro, mint, lettuce, noodles, carrot, mango.

Now fold the front part over the filling and roll. Then fold both the sides in. Roll gently but firmly.

Its that simple! With practice, you will get better and better at rolling. Serve these Vietnamese summer rolls with sweet chili dipping sauce. Regular Vietnamese dipping sauce or Nuoc Cham has fish sauce. See below for my vegetarian Nuoc Cham recipe.

Vietnamese Summer Rolls or Goi Cuan with Mango Recipe

makes 6 rolls

2 oz dried rice sticks or rice vermicelli (available in Asian section of most grocery stores)
6 rice paper wrapper sheets (called ‘bahn trang’ - available in Asian section of grocery store)
a large bowl of water to dip rice paper sheets
6 sprigs cilantro
6 sprigs mint
6 leaves lettuce, rib/stem removed (I like boston lettuce)
1 small ripe mango, peeled and cut into strips (substitute with shredded purple cabbage, cucumbers, savoy cabbage, bean sprouts)
1 carrot, peeled and cut into match sticks

Soak rice sticks in boiling water for about 3 minutes or till soft. Drain well.

Dip the rice paper sheets in water, making sure all sides are wet. Shake off excess water. Place on a clean work surface. Place a sprig each of cilantro and mint in the front 1/3rds of the rice paper sheet. Then place lettuce leaf, a little rice noodles, carrot, and mango slices. Fold and roll the summer roll – see photos above for details on how to roll vietnamese summer roll.

Serve immediately with vegetarian vietnamese dipping sauce (recipe below). To store, put rolls on a plate, cover with a damp paper towel. Then cover plate completely with foil or plastic wrap and refrigerate.

Sweet Chili Dipping Sauce or Vegetarian Nuoc Cham (Vietnamese dipping sauce) Recipe

makes little less than 1 cup

4 tablespoons light soy sauce
4 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons warm water
1 garlic clove peeled and crushed
Red pepper flakes or chopped fresh chili to taste

Whisk everything together till the sugar dissolves.